Charles Warman Welliver

Charles was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 14, 1951 to Janet and Warman Welliver. He shared the love of his parents with his sister Lucy Scanlon. He was always curious and interested in nature, even one time eating millipedes to see what they tasted like.

He caught scarlet fever as a young child and nearly died. He had to spend a long time recovering, even having his hands encased in mailing tubes to prevent him touching his eyes. The family was very distressed, and so grateful that he pulled through.

He spent 5 years of his youth in Florence, Italy, where his family would grow olives and make oil with them. This was his excuse for carrying a bottle of olive oil with him to any restaurant he went to as an adult. His family then moved back to Indianapolis for the rest of his childhood. At Indiana University he was a proud hippie, and he would still let it show every Halloween when he would show up in tie dye shirts and wacky sunglasses and basketball shorts that were way too long for him.

Charles was a devoted son, and when his father Warman became ill, he became the principal nurse caring for him till his death.

He moved to Florida to escape the cold, although he would never admit that was the real reason and liked to complain about the heat. In the Sunshine State he met Elizabeth, and they married and raised two children, Franklin and Alejandro Welliver. Charles was a great father who always put his children first. He was always himself around his kids, from doing his spot-on Italian accent to putting his car’s sun shade down flat on the dashboard to “keep the sun out of his eyes”, which would blind all other passengers in the car that weren’t wearing his prescription sunglasses. He was passionate about this though, so you would have no choice but to take a nap while he would try and make his way around in his old Corolla that he would brag would never break down due to its lack of technology. The roll-up windows were a nice touch. Charles showed his dedication to his sons through much driving, many lessons, games, and school activities - his love for them never faltered.

He also showed his love through volunteering, driving chemotherapy patients through hours of traffic to infusions, and through many thoughtful and generous gestures to his friends and family alike. He could be and often was incredibly generous, and loved to give gifts. He also loved his german shepard Rocky, and had a childlike delight in great meals, fine wine and impersonations of many kinds.

He always said he was going to move back to Indianapolis to escape the heat, but never did as he wanted to be near his sons. He will be missed.

Service Saturday May 14th 2022, 10:30am

Trinity Episcopal Church, 3243 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Interment of Ashes to follow, Crown Hill Cemetery, 700 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Please RSVP to Emily [email protected]